Location/Region: Saskatoon, CAN
Industry: Container Industry
Apps implemented: CRM, Accounting, Purchase, Inventory, Studio, Website, e-Commerce, Manufacturing
Software
Replaced: QuickBooks, Monday, Publer, Spreadsheet.
Number of users: 50
Hosting type: Odoo Online
What does it take to manage multiple companies, each with unique operations, while also growing a massive online following? For The Container Guy, a family business led by CEO Channing McCorriston, and its spin-off, Container Modification World (founded by McCorriston to manufacture modification components locally) the answer lies in efficiency and integration. Specializing in shipping container sales, rentals, and modifications, both companies have leveraged Odoo to streamline operations, automate processes, and drive innovation like never before.
The Container Guy was founded by McCorriston’s parents while he was in university, with him playing a key role from the beginning. As part of an entrepreneurship class, he developed a business plan for the company, though they initially underestimated the size of the market. What started with the goal of selling just a few containers a month quickly grew, with 300 units sold in its first year. By 2008, The Container Guy was officially incorporated. Over the next several years, the company gradually shifted its focus away from trucking to specialize entirely in containers.
Although a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) by trade, McCorriston is an innovator at heart, driven by a passion for developing new products and methods in his industry. This entrepreneurial spirit led to the creation of Container Modification World (CMW), an e-commerce brand specializing in do-it-yourself container modification parts.
Powered by Safe Box Steel Structures Inc., the manufacturing company behind CMW’s products, the business offers everything from door and window kits to foundation pads and ventilation systems. Through platforms like Amazon and Shopify, CMW delivers these innovative solutions to customers worldwide. With the integration of Odoo, the companies have streamlined operations, automating transactions between manufacturing and e-commerce while synchronizing inventory in real time, a significant advantage over traditional systems like QuickBooks.
While The Container Guy and Container Modification World operate as separate entities, Safe Box Steel Structures Inc. and CMW share a common premise: making container modifications more accessible. A key part of this strategy has been openly sharing industry insights through social media and educational content.
As a bold marketing initiative, McCorriston chose to reveal trade secrets to the public, risking training his own competition, in exchange for the opportunity to showcase products directly to consumers. This approach successfully transitioned the business from a pay-per-click push strategy to an organic pull strategy. With an extensive following on YouTube, The Container Guy has become a thought leader in container innovation, amassing over 280 videos. One of their videos has surpassed 10 million views, while several others have garnered over a million, further solidifying their influence in the industry.
"Everything we’ve learned over the years, we make public, knowing that it could train our competition, but the reward is being able to showcase our products directly to the consumer. It’s all part of transitioning from a pay-per-click push strategy to an organic pull strategy."
Growth came with challenges
Before implementing Odoo, The Container Guy relied on QuickBooks Enterprise for accounting and various disconnected software solutions, including Monday for project management and Publer for social media scheduling. The company was also searching for a CRM and attempted to integrate Copper with Gmail. However, since it wasn’t connected to the desktop version of QuickBooks, this led to duplication of entries. These systems were not integrated, resulting in inefficiencies, manual data entry, and the absence of a single source of truth for operations.
Managing inventory, manufacturing, and financials across multiple companies proved to be increasingly cumbersome. The lack of automation forced employees to spend excessive time on administrative tasks instead of focusing on sales and growth.
"We had platforms all over, but none of them were connected. There were spreadsheets flying around everywhere. Every new employee would start a new spreadsheet for the same thing the last three employees did."
Why was Odoo the right fit?
McCorriston first learned about Odoo from a friend, Ryan Dyck, CEO of Temple Audio, who had been using the software since its early versions. After years of struggling with disconnected tools, even attempting to build their own management system, and realizing they had outgrown QuickBooks, McCorriston decided that Odoo’s modular, customizable framework was the ideal solution.
Transitioning to Odoo has significantly improved operations across The Container Guy’s companies:
Intercompany transactions: By managing Safe Box Steel Structures Inc. (SBSS) and Container Modification World (CMW) within Odoo, transactions between the two companies are now automated. When raw materials turn into kits and are sold to CMW, the system records everything, drastically reducing administrative overhead.
Inventory and BOM (Bill of Materials) management: Odoo’s Inventory module allows precise tracking of stock levels, automating procurement and managing BOMs for manufacturing kits. While configuring the system took time, it has resulted in improved accuracy and efficiency.
Custom daily task and time tracking: The team developed a custom module within Odoo to track technical teams’ time, challenges, and achievements. This has optimized research and development efforts, making end-of-year scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) claims much easier.
Product development workflow: The company created three custom modules to structure its product development:
- Wonder Zone: Captures ideas and promotes first principles thinking by defining the root problem(s).
- New Product Development: Guides designers through prototyping and design while remaining flexible to promote rapid prototyping and a fail-fast mentality.
- New Product Commercialization: Standardizes product launches with a rigid framework.
Administrative work: By automating procurement and developing their own Shopify connector for the SAAS model of Odoo, the company has eliminated the need for multiple administrative roles. “The automation of the Amazon connector has reduced the need for an additional employee,” says McCorriston.
"Instead of hiring two administrators, I can hire software developers who help push us to the forefront of technology within our industry.
What’s next for The Container Guy?
Innovation remains at the core of The Container Guy’s growth strategy. The company is developing a next-generation 3D product configurator, allowing customers to design and request quotes for custom-built container modifications:
Plan My Can is seamlessly connected to Odoo through a custom integration server that enables secure, real-time data exchange via Odoo’s API. The tool relies on Odoo’s Inventory module as its primary database, using standard fields like product titles, SKUs, and variants, alongside custom fields such as 3D model uploads and constraints, created through Odoo Studio.
This setup ensures product information remains accurate and up to date. A key advantage is Odoo’s user-friendly interface, which allows non-technical staff to manage product data, effectively turning Odoo into a content management system for the application.
"Beyond inventory, Plan My Can also leverages Odoo’s CRM to automatically track leads, functioning similarly to an RFQ system. Automated workflows route inquiries to the appropriate Container Guy locations based on the user’s region. The platform also utilizes Odoo’s server-side processing for calculations and computed values, optimizing efficiency by extracting finalized data for use in Plan My Can. Additionally, Odoo’s web app flexibility enables seamless embedding of the tool within the company’s existing platform."
Additionally, the company is working toward full adoption of Odoo for accounting at Safe Box Steel Structures Inc. and Container Modification World, completing the transition from QuickBooks. This will further unify operations and improve financial reporting. The Container Guy continues to use QuickBooks for accounting, but the integration of Odoo at the other companies will streamline financial processes across the board.
For businesses in the manufacturing, logistics, or modular construction industries, The Container Guy’s story demonstrates the power of Odoo’s customizable, all-in-one platform. By replacing disconnected tools with an integrated system, companies can reduce administrative burdens, enhance efficiency, and scale operations. If your business faces similar challenges with inventory, manufacturing, or multi-company management, it might be time to explore what Odoo can do for you.
